Review: Everafter Falls Feels Like Just Another Farming Sim

I didn’t expect to start a farming sim game where an encounter with Truck-kun running over my avatar would isekai me to another world, but that’s exactly how Everafter Falls starts. Instead of getting run over being the end, it’s a reintroduction to a more tranquil, rural life. However, while there are some unique elements here and a gameplay loop some may find satisfying, it might not be unusual enough to stand out among existing games in the genre.

As mentioned earlier, Everafter Falls starts with the player being hit by a truck and waking up in the titular town. Dog is there to let you know that was a virtual reality sim involving a visit to “Earth.” While the player character doesn’t remember anything or anyone, Dog explains this is “normal” and assures you that you’ve lived a happy life as a community member for years, you’ve just been gone for about a year, and it’ll be easy for you to get back to farming, helping your neighbors, and fighting in the dungeons.

The thing is, I wish Everafter Falls did a little more with its setup or attempted to lean into how different it could be with the idea of something being up sooner. Picontieris an example of taking a farming sim game where dealing with chores and daily life is accompanied by lore that shows something else went on. Every time I’d see a story segment pop up after a nap, I’d hope it would hint more at what’s going on, but it takes a while to start developing things in a way that pays off in the way I wanted. Maybe it would have helped if the fellow villagers’ personalities were stronger and other narrative elements stuck out more, but I feel like it could have leaned harder into this promising premise. 

This isn’t to say SquareHusky doesn’t try to show how Everafter Falls is unique relatively swiftly. You get your pet via a quest rather promptly, which acts as a means of tilling soil, watering plants, carrying extra items, assisting in battle, or even teleporting places. You can use drones or pixies to help with daily tasks. Completing quests results in getting cards, which you eat to gain extra abilities. Essentially all the recipes you need to craft the various makers for items are available from the start. There are definitely perks to it that make sure this farming game feels different than other ones.

However, there are also elements of Everafter Falls that I felt didn’t exactly land well. I’m not a fan of its artistic direction, though this a personal gripe. It looks rather generic and too simplistic. It didn’t stand out in a really positive way. And while one of the selling points is supposed to be being able to see progression of growing plants’ phases at a glance, I found it difficult to notice major differences on the Switch in the period between sprout and fully grown produce.

Also, if you are unfamiliar with farming and life sim games, you will get lost going into Everafter Falls. I’m well acquainted with them after years of Stardew Valley and Bokujou Monogatari titles like Story of Seasons. However, even I was flummoxed when trying to figure out how to head to the dungeon after getting the rune, how to donate items to the museum, and even how to ship items so I’d get money for seeds and upgrades. (Dump stuff in the box in front of the blue box in front of the store that is one screen to the east of your home.) You need to constantly track on the map where neighbors are for quests, and you have to do so by scrolling through their icons on the sides. It is not very intuitive, with everything essentially dumped on you at once. It took me about three tries to figure out how the fishing minigame actually worked, and it took about three more tries to then start catching fish.

Also, I’m not a fan of the Everafter Falls Switch performance. The loading times are terrible. It is at its worst when you are starting a new game or loading up a save file. It was so bad I initially thought the game locked up. We’re talking minutes long waits to get into the game. I also noticed it was very slightly sluggish with two people, when in battle, or when assigning the pet to queue up multiple tasks in a row.

However, for those who can overlook some of the issues, Everafter Falls is very good at providing a gameplay loop and incentives to explore. Basically everything you find, such as bugs, seashells, fish, and certain items, can be donated to the museum or aquarium in town. People are constantly assigning you fetch quests and, while they don’t always have a lot of personality or feel memorable, you get cards to augment your abilities or worthwhile rewards. It’s very easy to get into a routine, and the promise of eventually getting little hints at what’s going on is enticing.

Even though the execution in Everafter Falls isn’t great about getting you adjusted to the farming sim and I wish it leaned more into its premise and mystery from the start, it isn’t a bad game! It has its moments, with the card-based skill acquisition and multifunctional pet both being highlights. Like most games in this genre, I really did find myself getting absorbed in it for hours once I got settled. I just wish it did more to stand out.

Everafter Falls launches on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC on June 20, 2024.